Wheeled gun-carriage.



E. BOURDELLES.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1913.

1,167,673. 1 Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

IINITE snares Parents curios.

EMILE BOUB-DELLES, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIG-NOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE, 0F PARIS,

FRANCE.

VI-IEELED GUN-CARRIAGE.

L e-mes. V

Specification-of Letters'Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 191 6.

Application filed April 16, 1913. Serial No. 761,582.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE BoU-nnEL Es, a resident of Paris and a citizen of France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in or Relating to \Vheeled Gun-Carriages, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to wheel gun carriages having a large firing field which is provided for by a rigid frame having two anchorin spades and jointed to the axle in such a manner as to render the-support deformable.

In my Patent No. 1,090,680, I have plescribed and claimed a constructipnal form of gun carriage in which the gun and its cradle are supported on a frame adapted to be locked to the axle of the gun carriage and having folding side members adapted to serveas props when the gun is in firing position and to be folded up when the gun is to be transported. .According to the present invention, the gun support comprises a frame consisting of a base member and two longitudinally ex tending props or branches pivoted to the base member in such a. manner that they can be caused to separate or approach each other in the plane of the frame. The base member is supported on the axle of the gun carnage to rotate about an axis normal to the axle and is provided with means forloclging it to the axle.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried'into effect, the same will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 4: are views in plan showing my gun supporting frame inopen and in closed position respectively; Flg. 2 1s a sec,- tional detail View taken on the line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one form of locking means for the props; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken on the line BB of Fig. 4:.

As illustrated, the frame for supporting the gun and its cradle comprises a base member c which is pivotally supported on the axle 16 of a wheeled gun carriage and is provided with two longitudinally extending props or members (Z joined to the base a by means of vertical hinges l. The member a is provided with a training pivot 14: in which-the cradle may be mounted, and with a spring lock 15 for locking the frame fast to the axle as desired.

In order to limit the opening movement of the props d, the extremities of the props ad acent to the base of the frame are adapted to strike against the fixed parts 2 of the base 0. In order to render it impossible for the props of a gun in battery to come together unintentionally, for example in the case of a hang fire of a differential recoil gun, or, in other words, in order to insure rigidity of theframe duringliring, an app p t o ki g d vic m y b P o d d et e t e-P op .d and the b se'c- W thi je th xtr mi ies of th P ps ca beprovided with-lugs 3, which may bekeyed upon projections 4 from the base 0 by me ans of a pin 5. Rigidity may also be insured by automatic locking between the base a and each prop when the latter occupies the ppsie tio o m x mum s pa at on Between the lugs 3 of the extremity pf each prop d a latch 7 is pivoted on a shaft 6, this latch is subjected to the action of a spring 8 fixed to the prop and engaging on a projection 9 from the base 0 of the frame. The pivotal connection 1 between the frent extremity of thepropd and thebase c of the ame, oe no r nder it impossib e to P y fo d ng p iers, that is to t divide he p op int tw eleme ts mounted on ansv rse hinge b se 0 of the T Props d j i. te o the f m n' b 'ou l tog -her r t an port PU PO S- By pa tia yb ng ng han to= e h p si le. o ti iz th m .ass aits for directly harnessing a horse. "lVhen the rear element of each of the props has been turned down onto thefront element aroun d the hinge 9 th e treat el ments an -be broughttogether as shown in Figs-Q 4 and 5 in plan and in section on the line IS-B in Fig. l respectively. In this manner, by means of a pin 12, two lateral projections 10 and 11 from the said frontelements of. the props are assembled; one of these projections can be provided with an eye 13 for coupling with the limber.

What I claim and desire-to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is 1. In a gun support, an axle, a base having a pivot support in and normal to said axle, a gun cradle carriedby said base, supporting props pivoted to the rear corners'of saidbase and provided with lockingexten- I sions, and means for locking said extensions to the forward corners of said base for holding the frame in firing position.

2. In a gun'support, an axle, a base having a pivot support in and normal to said axle, a gun cradle carried by said base, supporting propspivoted to the rear corners of said base and provided with looking extensions, and means for locking said extensions to the forward corners of said base for bold ing the cradle in firing position said props being adapted to serve as shafts for hauling when not in firing position.

3. In a gun support, an axle, a base hav ing a pivot support in and normal to said axle, a gun cradle carried by said base, supporting props pivoted to the rear corners of said base and provided with looking extensions, means for locking said extensions to the forward corners of said base for holding the cradle in firing position, and means for locking said props in position for coupling with a limber when not in firing position.

4.. In'a gun support, an axle, a base having a pivotsupport in and normal to said axle, a gun cradle carried by said base, supporting props pivoted to said base and provided with locking extensions, said props being adapted to swing in a plane passing through the major axis of said base, and means for locking said extensions to the forward parts of said base.

5. In a gun carriage, a gun or'gun cradle supporting frame, and swinging props having hinged connections with said frame and each prop having a part thereof extending forward of said hinged connections and having means for automatically locking said props to said frame when in firing position.

6. In a gun carriage, a rotatable gun or gun-supporting frame, a spring latch for engaging said frame in predetermined positions, and swinging props having hinged connections with said frame and having locking extensions adapted to be. locked to said frame when said props are in firing position.

,7. In a. gun-carriage, a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame, swinging members hav ing a hinge connection with said frame,

means for locking said members to said frame when in firing position, and elements hinged to said members to act as props for the frame in firing position and adapted to fold back on said frame during transportation.

8. In a gun carriage, a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame comprising a base member mounted to swing about an axis normal to the gun carriage axle and provided with a vertical training pivot, swinging members each having a hinged connection with said base and adapted to swing in the plane of said frame, each of said swinging members being hinged intermediate its ends, and means associated with said base for locking one end of each of said swinging members to said base at a position forward of the point of hinged connection when said swinging members are in firing position.

9. In a gun carriage, a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame comprising a base member mounted to swing about an axis normal to the gun carriage axle, swinging members each having a hinged connection with said base and adapted to permit said members to swing in the plane of said frame, means carried by said base for engaging extensions on said members and for limiting the swinging movement of said members in one direction, and means associated with said base for locking said swinging members to the forward end of said base member when in firing position.

10. In a gun carriage, a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame comprising a base member mounted to swing about an axis normal to the gun carriage axle, swinging members each having a hinged connection with said base and adapted to permit said members to swing in the plane of said frame, means for limiting the swinging movement of said members in one direction, and means asso ciated with said base for locking said swinging members to'the forward corners of said base when in firing position.

11. In a gun carriage, a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame comprising a base member mounted to swing about an axis normal to the gun carriage axle, swinging members each having a hinged connection with said base and adapted to swing in or parallel to the plane of said base, elements hinged to said swinging members to act as props for the frame in firing position and adapted to fold back on the frame during transportation, and means for locking said swinging members to said frame when in firing position.

12. In a gun carriage,'a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame comprising a base member mounted to swing about an axis normal to the gun carriage axle, swinging. members each having a hinged connection with said base and adapted to swing in or parallel to the plane of said base, elements hinged to saidrswinging members to act as props for the frame in firing position and adapted to fold back on the frame-during transportation, and spring-actuated means for automatically locking said swinging members to said base when in firingposition.

13. In a gun carriage, a gun or gun-cradle supporting frame comprising a basemember mounted to swing about an axis normal to the gun carriage axle, swinging members each having a hinged connection with. said base and adapted toswing in or parallel to the plane of said base, elements hinged to said swinging members to act as props for neman 3 the frame in firing position and adapted to In testimony whereof I have signed this fold back on the frame during transportaspecification in the presence of two subscrib- 10 tion, spring-actuated means for automatiing witnesses. cally locking said swinging members to said 5 base when in firing position, and other means for locking the free extremities of said Witnesses: swinging members in position for coupling HENRY MoNIN, with a limber. HANsoNC, Coxn.

EMILE BOURDELLES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. O. 

